Reagan High Crowds

Surprisingly, I received only one e-mail today criticizing the story on Reagan High School. I was braced for more. Whenever you write about a school where parents are active in their child’s education, it’s sure to touch a nerve. I don’t think the article painted a negative picture of Reagan. On the contrary, I used words like “premier” and “stellar” to describe the school.

It’s that very reputation that has caused Reagan’s current problem of outgrowing its campus. The North East Independent School District is remedying the situation by building a new high school that will open in 2008, but in the meantime, Reagan is dealing with the byproducts of having 500-600 extra kids in its hallways.

My critic said I should’ve spent more time praising the school and less time focusing on the problems crowding has caused:

“One reason being that it is an exceptional school that offers students an incredible high school experience. I have two children at Reagan who are involved in the dance, theater, and forensic programs. These programs and the teachers that sponsor them are top notch. The community spirit is also amazing as seen during Reagan’s first run in the football playoffs.”

Certainly Reagan is a wonderful school, but the issues that overcrowding has created are newsworthy ones. It’s a story that educators want out there as much as anyone, because the surplus of students is making their job much tougher.

I think it’s also important to keep in mind that Reagan’s successes have a lot to do with its demographics. It’s not only the highest-performing school in Bexar County; it’s also the richest. It’s no surprise to anyone who has ever worked in education or done any sort of education research that those two things go hand in hand.